The present invention generally relates to a retaining clip. More particularly, the present relates to a retaining clip that can be attached to clothing, such as a shirt pocket, clothing accessories, such as waist belts or purse straps, and automobile visors. With the retaining clip receiving a garment, the clip also can be used as an article attachment means of a sunglass or eyeglass holder, badge holder, or other sibling device. The retaining clip can also be used for general purposes such as a money clip or a paper clip.
As personal portable devices increase in ownership, various clips have been developed to attach the device to a garment or an article such as a belt or auto visor. The typical retaining clip used to accomplish this objective is a wire-form, metal, or spring-backed plastic clip. An eyeglass case, cellular phone, or pager typically includes a plastic clip or wire-form so a wearer can attach it to a pocket or belt. The main problem encountered constructing a retaining clip is ensuring the garment-engaging inner section has sufficient strength to hold securely, but weak enough to release the garment when required. The problem is exaggerated when the garment is extremely thin. In order to hold a thin garment, the inner section of the clip must be constructed so that one side is resiliently touching the other side by means of a spring bias. During plastic injection molding, a metal separates the section of the mold""s cavity to form the two pieces. However, this creates a permanent space and the inner section of the clip does not touch itself. Subsequently, a thin garment slips through the space. If the metal is removed from the injection mold, then the clip is formed with its inner section joined together. It then must be sliced apart so a garment can slip inside the clip. Even though the inner section of the clip touches itself, enough spring bias may not be produced to retain the garment inside the clip.
The problem identified in the preceding paragraph is well known. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,318 to Phillips, a retaining clip assembly is disclosed. It depicts leaf spring 40 biasing securing end 18 towards base 14 to retain a garment. The problem with Phillip""s clip is the configuration requires multiple pieces and multiple assembly steps. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,319 to Challender, a garment clip integrated into an eyeglass temple is disclosed. Challender""s clip is limited in size to the width of a temple bar and singular in scope of uses. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,513 to Cheraso, a multifunctional belt clip is disclosed that can orient a portable device when removed from a garment. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,480 to Hogarth, a garment clip used in conjunction with a clothes hanger is disclosed.
It is the object of this invention to provide a retaining clip that utilizes a bias means and/or a padding means to effectively retain garments or other objects. It is another object of the invention to provide an inexpensive solution for injection molding a resilient clip. Additionally, a rotational means may be included with this clip so that it may be attached to other objects such as a sunglass holder or portable device and permit rotation of the device about an axis.